Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Tuesday that star receiver Jeremy Maclin has a “mild” high ankle sprain and was among six key Chiefs who didn’t practice Tuesday.
Maclin left the Chiefs’ 30-0 wild-card round win over the Houston Texans on Saturday because of what appeared to be a knee injury, and Reid even said immediately after the game that early tests indicated a knee sprain.
But on Sunday, the team announced Maclin had sustained a right ankle sprain, and on Tuesday, Reid added that it was of the high-ankle variety, which is a bit worse than a typical ankle sprain but still better than the ACL tear that was originally feared, an injury to the same leg that Maclin has already been forced to rehab twice, in 2006 and 2013.
“I’ve got to tell you, it looked the part — he felt like it was, he’s been through a couple of those before,” Reid said. “He thought that’s what it was, it looked that way on the test, but it all worked out. As we made our way back, he didn’t have any swelling or anything, and the docs and Jeremy were like, ‘Whoa, maybe it’s something different.’ His pain started going more down towards the ankle. It’s a positive thing.”
Reid was then asked whether Maclin is the type of player who could conceivably play in the Chiefs’ AFC Divisional playoff against the New England Patriots on Saturday, even if he doesn’t practice all week.
“Yeah … he might not have to do that,” Reid said. “But he could do that.”
The other Chiefs who didn’t practice Tuesday were outside linebacker Tamba Hali (thumb/knee), outside linebacker Justin Houston (knee), center Mitch Morse (concussion), guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (concussion) and running back Spencer Ware (ankle).
Reid said Houston and Hali are not practicing for precautionary measures, while Duvervay-Tardif and Morse have not yet passed the league’s concussion protocol. Reid added that Ware has a sprained ankle.
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